Rising Christian Rapper Trip Lee on What Makes Jesus Irresistible

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Trip Lee, the stage name of rising Christian rapper William Lee Barefield III, finds Jesus irresistible even though his art tells him God is against him.

(Photo: Desiring God via The Christian Post)

"The fact that God is for me. That is huge for me when I am thinking about fighting my own sins because my art tells me that God is against you. God wants to keep you from something that is pleasureful, something that will bring you pleasure, so you need to disobey God," said Lee in a video interview posted on the Desiring God website on Sunday.

But Lee, who is mentored by Grammy-nominated Christian rapper Lecrae, says he looks to his favorite Bible passage, Romans 8, and especially verses 31-39, to remind him that he is more than a conqueror in all things through Christ's love.

"There was a time when I was in my sins and I was God's enemy, but now I have been purchased in Christ and God is for me. He is not going to do anything or command anything that is not ultimately for my good and for His glory," declared Lee passionately.

"It's incredible and it drives me to Jesus. It drives me to want to follow him. It drives me to love him knowing that the most important thing in me is that I am in Christ and there is nothing that can take that away from me."

The talented rapper, who has been nominated for several Dove Awards and won the Stellar Award for Best Hip Hop Album in 2011, is known for entertaining lyrics that upon deeper reflection convey poignant Gospel truths.

In his 2012 song "I'm Good (Feat. Lecrae)," he raps:

My life is full of pain problems and suchBut I'm focused on forever in eternity's touchWhile the world try to fight me Pharisees try to stone meI am Tebow in the fourth quarter they can't hold meYa the Lord is my coach got me off in the zoneTell my mama that I'm good when he carry me home

And in his 2008 song "Real Vision (Feat. Tedashii)," he raps:

Look I don't know what they told you but if it don't match upWith His holy Word then homie they need to back upSome they pretend like they get Him they twisting facts upThat's why we dig in the scriptures to know the Master

We want to see Him clear like a big screen plasmaHalf of the cats I seen they don't really know the LordThey think my views are extreme, think I'm going overboardBut they ain't read a page of the place where He's spoken for Himself in the matters, man that's what I be quoting forSome say He don't exist, nah that don't even make sense…These days in the church, most cats got it twistedDon't let them fool you on how we posed to live thisFor instance, some say to come to Christ for richesOr maybe your blessing, but my question is what is this? Cause that ain't the gospel, that if you put your faith in HimTo come to the Savior, and then you'll rake that paper in? Face it friends, they made Jesus they holy ATM|Paul would appalled, this gospel would be disgrace to HimThis false gospel strips Him of His flyness

Lee, who released his fourth full length studio album The Good Life in April 2012, concluded his interview with the Desiring God ministry by declaring why he loves the passage in Romans 8 the most in the Bible:

"It (Bible) says we are like sheep being slaughter out there. You can slaughter me. Even marriage is until death do us part," Lee said. "You can kill me and you can still not separate me from the love of God in Christ. And that is really good news, and that drives me to want to follow him, to love him more."